


the rest of the world falls away

by mohritz



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Asexual Jughead Jones, Developing Relationship, F/F, Friendship, M/M, Soulmate AU, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, also a bit of a mix of the comics and the show, jug and arch are Supportive Friends, jughead just likes to be smug tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2017-02-26
Packaged: 2018-09-27 03:51:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9956405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mohritz/pseuds/mohritz
Summary: The name that appears on Betty’s wrist when she turns thirteen is unexpected.She’s in her room alone when it happens, the light from behind her curtains fading and leaving the sky a mess of blues and oranges. It’s quiet, the only disturbance in the autumn evening being the sound of the television downstairs.





	

**Author's Note:**

> in which betty does not meet veronica on her weird not-a-date with archie before school starts
> 
> enjoy! i really wanted to write beronica and i'm Weak for soulmate aus so

The name that appears on Betty’s wrist when she turns thirteen is unexpected.

She’s in her room alone when it happens, the light from behind her curtains fading and leaving the sky a mess of blues and oranges. It’s quiet, the only disturbance in the autumn evening being the sound of the television downstairs.

She finally understands why people say the feeling is indescribable. It’s not pain, exactly, but it forces her to stop reading her magazine and shut her eyes. She breathes out slowly, before opening her eyes and looking down to her wrist.

 _Veronica._ A name she doesn’t recognise and will almost definitely force her mother into an early grave.

She swallows the lump in her throat, tracing a finger over the cursive slowly. It could be months, years, decades, she thinks. She doesn’t need to worry about it now.

“Betty, time for dinner!”

The shout pulls her out of her thoughts. Trying to steady her shaking hands, she pushes herself up and takes a deep breath.

“Be there in a sec!”

She pulls the sleeve of her jumper down over her wrist. She can deal with it some other time.

-

The arrival of Veronica Lodge in Riverdale three years later has Betty knocking frantically at Archie’s door at seven in the morning.

He opens the door with a yawn. “Betty? What are you doing here?”

“You know I agreed to tour the new girl around school on Monday?” she says, pushing past Archie and heading up the stairs.

“What?” he says, following her. “Betty, it’s seven on a Sunday morning-”

“Well, I did, and I got the details about it today. Guess what her name is.”

“I really don’t know. Betty, can we talk about this some other time?” he rubs his eyes. “I’m kinda preoccupied.”

She pushes open the door to his room. “It’s literally just Jughead. That doesn’t count anymore.”

“Gee, thanks, Betty,” the boy in question raises an eyebrow and yawns as she sighs and flops onto Archie’s bed. “It’s nice to know what you really think of me.”

“Hi, Jughead,” Betty says, her voice muffled by the comforter. Jughead sleepily glances up at Archie, who appears to be looking down at Betty, expression somehow both annoyed and fond.  He grins.

“Hi. Why are you here at seven in the morning?”

“I’m touring the new girl around on Monday!” Betty sits up, pouting. “The one who just moved here from New York – the one everyone’s talking about!”

“And this a problem because?” Archie says, confused. He sits down next to Jughead.

“Oh my god, Archie,” Jughead rolls his eyes. “It’s a problem because her name is Veronica, obviously.”

Archie lets out a squeak. “Seriously?”

“Oh god,” Betty groans. “I can’t do this. I’d rather it was just a surprise and I didn’t know it was going to happen. Now I’m anticipating it and it’s gonna be awful.”

“Just talk to her normally,” Jughead shrugs. “It’ll be fine. Chill.”

“Just because you and Archie have been soulmates your entire lives doesn’t mean it’s as easy for the rest of us, Juggie!” Betty collapses back into Archie’s comforter.

Jughead snorts. “Archie still didn’t believe I was his soulmate until we were thirteen.”

“My wrist does say Forsythe, in my defence.”

“Oh yeah? How many other people named Forsythe do you know?”

“Guys!” Betty throws her hands up. “Real, actual problem here.”

“Betts, it’ll be fine,” Jughead says simply. “You’re more than deserving of someone, and I’m sure Veronica will be that person.”

“Validation from Jughead means it’s gotta be okay,” Archie adds, earning himself a kick in the shin.

Betty nods, trying to reassure herself. “Okay. It’s gonna be fine.”

-

Betty is not fine.

She sits in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection, trying to convince herself that she can do this. She can get up, go to school, and show her soulmate around Riverdale like the good citizen she is.

Her stomach turns at the thought of the world soulmate. Hesitantly, she turns her focus to her wrist, tugging her jumper sleeve up to stare at the name written there.

The cursive is elegant, making Betty smile at the thought of her own scrawling, messy handwriting. She hopes she’s enough for Veronica. That she lives up to expectations.

Taking a deep breath, she pulls her sleeve down and looks back into the mirror. She grabs a hairband and pulls her hair into a tight ponytail before smearing some lip gloss on and smiling at herself hesitantly in the mirror.

She’s ready just in time for the doorbell to ring. When she opens the door, Jughead and Archie stand on the other side. Archie’s smiling, his excitement clear on his face, and Jughead looks pleased – if a little smug.

She rolls her eyes at the two of them, calling out a goodbye to her mom and shutting the door behind her.

“Ready?” she says, jumping down the steps up to her front door.

“I think the real question is, are _you-_ ”

“Jughead, be quiet,” Archie pokes him in the side, and Jughead glares in response.

“I guess? I mean, it’s sort of guaranteed to happen, so I’m just going to take it in stride,” she shrugs, turning into the street, Jughead and Archie following.

“Betty Cooper, you are a marvel,” Jughead grins at her fondly.

“Thank you,” she smiles back, trying not to let her nerves show.

They walk most of the way in silence. Betty thinks about how long she’s known both of them, about how they don’t need words to communicate how they’re feeling. She knows when Jughead needs to be alone and when Archie is frustrated. She knows when they need some time together, just the two of them.

She wonders how Veronica will fit into all of this.

“Betty, you okay?” Archie asks softly. Jughead looks equally concerned, which is a little surprising.

“Yeah,” she replies, folding her arms around herself. “Yeah, I am.”

“As long as you’re sure,” Archie says, then turns to look at Jughead. He’s frowning in concern, hand gripping the strap of his satchel tightly.

As soon as they get to the entrance of Riverdale High, Betty turns to them and smiles.

“Right, I better go and find Veronica,” she claps her hands together. “I’ll see you later?”

Jughead nods, albeit hesitantly, and Archie grins.

“Good luck,” he says.

They watch Betty go in silence. Her steps are confident, as if she’s done this thousands of times. Archie knows her too well, though, to convince himself that she’s not scared out of her mind.

“I’m worried about her,” Jughead says. “I hope she’s okay.”

Archie smiles softly, turning to him. He looks around, making sure there’s relatively few students near them - he’s no stranger to Jughead’s hatred of public displays of affection – before giving his hand a quick squeeze in reassurance.

“She’ll be fine, Jug.”

-

Betty opens the door to the front office, peering around in curiosity. All she sees is the receptionist, who gives her a quick smile in greeting, and so she sinks into a chair to wait.

She can’t help the rhythmic tapping of her feet as she trains her eyes on the door. She has nothing to do with her hands, and so instead of fidgeting, she pulls out her English Literature reading for something to do.

She’s read the same sentence about a hundred times over when she hears the door open. Her head snaps up, and her eyes widen as she takes in the girl in front of her.

Veronica’s tall, with dark hair and a gentle smile that Betty thinks could quickly turn into something else entirely. She stands straight, confident and sure in herself as she greets the receptionist.

“Veronica Lodge? I’m new,” she says.

“Good morning, Miss Lodge. Here’s your schedule and your locker combination. Elizabeth Cooper is your peer mentor and will guide you around this morning.”

At the first mention of her name, Veronica whips around. Betty stands up, her hands fiddling with the corner of The Catcher in the Rye as she gives the other girl a hesitant smile in greeting.

Veronica walks towards her. “Hi.”

“Hi, I’m Betty – nobody really calls me Elizabeth. I’m, uh, I’m your guide, I’ll show you around the school today, help you get your bearings-”

“I’m on your wrist, aren’t I?” Veronica says quietly. Her eyes are wide, but she doesn’t seem scared.

“Can we – can we go outside?” Betty asks, and Veronica nods.

“Of course,” she says, and follows Betty outside, down the steps of the front entrance and towards the car park. They take a seat on one of the benches.

“Yes.” Betty says, closing her eyes.

“I’m sorry?”

“Yes, you’re on my wrist.”

“I knew it,” Veronica breathes out.

When she opens her eyes, she sees Veronica looking at her hesitantly, a happy look on her face. She’s twisting the strap of her handbag with her hands, and Betty suddenly realises that she’s just as nervous. It makes her feel slightly better.

“Would you – would you want to get a milkshake at Pop’s? My treat?” she says, smiling at Veronica.

The girl in question grins in response. “I would love that – but where and what is Pop’s?”

“Oh my god,” Betty laughs. “Never let Jughead hear you say that. We have so much to talk about.”

-

Betty knows now why they describe the feeling as a flame.

As she laughs at a joke Veronica’s just finished telling, something start to grow. Pop’s seems to be glowing, everything outlined with a golden feeling that she can’t quite place.

“You okay?”

She smiles in response, taking a sip of her milkshake.

“Totally,” she says. “I’m perfect.”

“Can we join?” a voice says, a mischievous tilt to it. Betty rolls her eyes at Veronica, who raises her eyebrows in amusement.

“Sure,” she says, and watches Jughead jump into the booth next to her. Archie takes a seat next to Veronica.

“Veronica, this is Archie and Jughead. Jughead and Archie, this is Veronica.”

“Hi,” Jughead smirks. “Heard you didn’t know what Pop’s was?”

Veronica’s eyes widen at Betty, and she feigns being upset. “You told him that?”

Betty laughs, and Archie joins in. Soon, the four of them are talking like they’ve known each other forever.

Why she ever worried about this, Betty doesn’t know, but now she’s just pleased to have the three people in her life she cares about the most around her.

Veronica fits like a missing puzzle piece, and for that she couldn’t be happier.   

**Author's Note:**

> title is from dear evan hansen which is incredible and u should 100% listen to and then come talk to me about


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